Page 2 of Ambition (The Chaplain’s Legacy #6)
She was happy to comply. Poor Papa! He looked so lost these days, for Mama had gone away now that she was not his wife any more, telling him to marry someone younger who would be able to give him legitimate sons.
He was dutifully searching for a new wife, but he missed Mama dreadfully.
Olivia would not have minded running away, too, but how could she leave poor Papa without anyone to see to his comfort?
Her brothers were useless and her older sisters were married.
As for Aunt Alice, she was so sunk in grief for her murdered husband that she barely knew what day it was, and had only emerged from seclusion now that a man had confessed to killing poor Uncle Arthur.
So Olivia sat on one side of the earl, and Lady Esther the other, although it was mostly Olivia who kept the conversation going, for Lady Esther seemed sunk in gloom.
Olivia could not wait to get to the important point, however, so as soon as the earl was drawn away to talk to the Strongs, she said, “How did you enjoy your stay at Landerby Manor, Lady Esther?”
“It was very pleasant. The Duke and Duchess of Wedhampton were most gracious. I felt quite at home there.”
“And Mr Franklyn was a great success in the fencing tournament, I understand.”
Lady Esther made a little moue of distaste. “Well… he enjoys the sport. For myself, I find it deeply unpleasant to watch men fighting, but it is more respectable than some hobbies, so I make no objection.”
“And how did Miss Franklyn enjoy her stay? I am sure she was a great success amongst the gentlemen.”
Olivia had heard certain rumours about Miss Franklyn’s enjoyment, for Bea was not noted for shyness or even for good manners, if truth were told, but she expected a bland response from Lady Franklyn.
After all, although she was not Bea’s mother, as her stepmother she had always put a good face on Bea’s little transgressions.
Much to Olivia’s surprise, Lady Esther’s face hardened.
“Oh, do not talk to me of Beatrice! I can barely speak her name. I intended to bring her with me today, and we set out just as planned, but then Mr Bertram Atherton came galloping after us, jumping hedges and I know not what to catch up with us, and behaving in the most appalling fashion to me.”
“Cousin Bertram?” Olivia said, astonished. “Jumping hedges? He never jumps!”
“Well, he did today, forcing the carriage to stop. Then he shouted at me, positively shouted, in the most uncouth fashion, dragged Beatrice out forcibly, and now he has ridden off with her. Such intemperance!”
“Bertram?” Olivia said again, trying to reconcile this passionate young man with her studious, bespectacled cousin, who never lifted his head from his ancient books and was unfailingly polite to everyone.
The same Bertram who had sworn never to marry Bea Franklyn and had now apparently ridden off with her.
“You might well look astonished, Miss Atherton,” Lady Esther said.
Oh. How lowering. She was Miss Atherton to her ladyship, of course. A duke’s daughter would never get that wrong, or be kind enough to forget that she was no longer Lady Olivia.
“You will be even more astonished to hear that Beatrice turned down the possibility to be a duchess in order to ally herself with a man who might, or more likely might not, be an earl one day.”
“Turn down a duke? Ohhh…” Olivia breathed. “I should never do that. I should love to marry a duke. I want to be a duchess above all things.”
Lady Esther’s face softened and she turned fully to face Olivia.
“A worthy ambition indeed. Every woman should aim as high as she can when looking for a husband. Beatrice’s offer was not from a duke, but from the heir to a dukedom, which to my mind is even better.
So many of the unmarried dukes are in their dotage. ”
“The Duke of Argyll is only thirty-nine.”
“A Scottish peerage!” she said with a grimace. “Inveraray Castle is so far to the north, and think of the weather!”
“Oh, I know. I thought Buckinghamshire would be better situated for weather, and nearer to town, as well.”
“Buckinghamshire? Then… you have a particular duke in mind? The Buckingham line is extinct, so you refer, I collect, to the Duke of Bridgeworth, or his heir, the Marquess of Embleton.”
“The Marquess. He is thirty years of age and single.”
“I was not aware that you were acquainted with Lord Embleton.”
Olivia should, perhaps, have been more discreet in her disclosures, for not everyone would approve of her ambition, but Lady Esther was one person who surely would. “I have never met him, but I should very much like to. What is he like?”
“Not a distinguished man in appearance. Rather the opposite, but gentlemanly in his manner and style of dress. Very quiet.”
“He stammers.”
“Ah. You know about that.”
“Izzy told me. I also know that he is a keen sportsman, he fences, rides to hounds, shoots, and keeps race horses.”
“You are very well informed.”
“I keep all the newspaper cuttings that mention him. I have been following him for several years now.”
Lady Esther smiled. This was such a rare event that Olivia barely recognised her.
She looked almost approachable. “Ah, if only you were my daughter! But I suppose with your mother away and your aunt confined to the castle by her unfortunate condition, there would be no objection if I were to… take you under my wing, so to speak. After all, Beatrice seems to have settled her own future, so now I am at a loose end. Should you like that? I believe I can help you achieve your ambition, Miss Atherton.”
“Even though I am not legitimate?”
“You are still the daughter of an earl with a respectable dowry, no doubt, and Olivia — may I call you by your name? — Olivia, you are as pretty as paint, you know. You have all your sister Isabel’s beauty and lively spirit, without her wayward turns, and you have a much, much better figure.”
“I am very fond of cake,” Olivia murmured, lowering her eyes.
Lady Esther laughed, an event so rare that Olivia wondered momentarily if she were about to have an apoplexy.
But no, it was merely laughter. Leaning forward a little, she whispered into Olivia’s ear, “Gentlemen are attracted to a lady who is fond of cake.” Then, in a more normal voice, she went on, “Of course, it would not do to become positively fat, but you are very far from that state. Yes, you have a much better figure. There is a drawing on the wall over there that I should like to examine more closely, if you will be so good as to accompany me.”
Surprised but willing, Olivia crossed the room in Lady Esther’s wake.
“There! Now we cannot be overheard,” she murmured, her voice so low that Olivia had to strain to hear it. “I shall tell you something in the strictest confidence, Olivia. The ducal heir that Beatrice turned down was none other than Lord Embleton.”
“Then it is no use!” Olivia cried, before remembering to whisper. “If he is in love with Bea, he will not so much as look at me.”
“No, it is very much to the point, for a man who is already thinking of matrimony is ripe to fall into willing hands. He is not so very much in love with Beatrice, I fancy, but he believed her to be in love with him, that was what drove him to offer for her, and I know precisely what gave him the idea — she kissed him.”
“Oh! How very—”
“Forward of her? Yes, but that is Beatrice for you, and even though it was inadvertent in this case, it did the trick for it brought him straight to the point. So that is what you must do, when you meet him.”
“But how am I ever to meet him?” Olivia said in crushed tones. “He is about to begin his autumn round of visits to relations for the sporting season, and I am confined to the castle.”
Lady Esther smiled again. “Then we shall just have to bring him here, shall we not? I happen to know that he is staying with his sister, Lady Harraby, at Harraby Hall, which is three miles this side of Thirsk. If I pen a brief note, just to express my regret that matters with Beatrice did not work out as we had hoped, I could perhaps mention that Lord Rennington is in low spirits just now after his recent difficulties and would undoubtedly be cheered by a visit from a fellow peer… that should do the trick.”
“But if he calls to see Papa, he will spend half an hour in Papa’s study and then go away again.”
“Now, now, where is your ingenuity? Naturally you will ensure that your butler apprises you of such a distinguished visitor, and you can find an excuse to join them. Then you invite him to dinner. He will be too polite to refuse.”
“He could come to our big party on Friday.”
Lady Esther winced. “With the entire neighbourhood ogling him? And Beatrice will be there, who has just refused to marry him. No, a quiet family dinner, that is what is needed so you have his full attention, and you will have an entire evening to get to know him.”
“And to kiss him?” Olivia said doubtfully.
“If the opportunity should arise,” Lady Esther said firmly.
“A kiss is so definitive, is it not? A man cannot mistake one’s intent if one kisses him.
It is better if the will to kiss should come from him, but one cannot wait for a man to realise what is needed or one might never get a husband.
A lady must go out and seize her destiny in her own hands, Olivia, and I shall help you to do precisely that. ”
Seize her destiny! How glorious that sounded! And perhaps, with Lady Esther’s guidance, Olivia would one day be a duchess.